A Philosophy of Comedy on Stage and Screen: You Have to Be There

By Shaun May

Book Overview

As far as we know, only human beings have a sense of humour - although chimps might laugh when tickled, and dogs respond similarly in play, Seth McFarlane's fan-base is comprised exclusively of humans. Whilst animals and robots might feature as prominent characters in our favourite comic movies, shows and stand-up routines, we have no reason to suspect that their real-life brethren get the joke.

Drawing on the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, Shaun May attempts to address this issue - suggesting that there is something distinctive about human beings which grounds our ability to make and comprehend jokes. Guiding the reader through a range of examples, including the films of Charlie Chaplin, the stand-up of Francesca Martinez, the TV show Family Guy and Samuel Beckett's Endgame, he demonstrates that in order to get the joke you have to 'be there'.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1350004510
• ISBN13: 9781350004511
• Release Date: August 2016
• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"